Canada issues US warning for passport holders with nonbinary "X" gender designation

Ottawa, Canada - The Canadian government warned citizens holding passports with the nonbinary "X" gender designation they could face difficulties when trying to enter the US.

Canadian passport holders with the nonbinary gender designation "X" have been warned that they may be denied entry to the US.  © IMAGO / Zoonar

"While the Government of Canada issues passports with a 'X' gender identifier, it cannot guarantee your entry or transit through other countries," said the travel advisory issued by Global Affairs Canada.

"You might face entry restrictions in countries that do not recognize the 'X' gender identifier," the warning, published Monday, continued.

President Donald Trump has launched an all-out assault on the rights of trans and nonbinary people since returning to the White House in January, when he proclaimed during his inaugural address that there are only "two sexes, male and female."

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Through an executive order, the US State Department stopped issuing passports with the "X" gender marker, or for passport holders whose gender differs from their birth.

A court injunction issued in June has stopped the policy from going into effect, and earlier this month an appeals court denied the Trump administration's attempt to restore it.

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Between 2019 and 2024, Ottawa has issued roughly 3,400 passports to Canadians with the "X" gender identifier.

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